Year: 2019

10 Specialty Stores for Shopping Outside of the Strip

When it comes to boutique shopping in Pittsburgh, it is really easy for us to simply direct you to the Strip District and (almost) call it a day. This neighborhood has so many specialty stores that you can find a great number of products all within a ~10-block shopping district.

That being said, leaving the shopping discussion to purely the Strip District would be doing you a disservice as there are many other boutique and specialty stores in the Pittsburgh area. 

In this one, we wanted to share a few of our favorites all with one thing in common- none of these are located in the Strip District. So if you're looking for a store to go deep into a particular style or item, these are a few great places to start!

Note: We know that there are way more than the following in the metro area. As with everything on this site, we will add more great stores as we visit them!

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The Library Review – A South Side Gem for Cheap Eats and Drinks

Sometimes when we try and find a new bar to hit in South Side, we go numb at the sheer number of choices. In many cases when visiting this neighborhood we often pick a reason for going out (deals, cocktails, draft list, etc.) and then limit our options down from there in order to make a choice.

On a recent night out we wanted to keep our tab low while having good beer and settled on The Library. Known for a cheap craft beer list and happy hour food specials, an affordable outing was exactly what we got!

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CRAFT Chatham Offers Specialized Cooking Classes in Pittsburgh

CRAFT (The Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation) at Chatham University is affiliated with the school's Food Studies program and aims to transform our food systems in Western Pennsylvania through education and outreach. Some of those education opportunities include fantastic food-related workshops and classes hosted at the Eden Hall campus in Gibsonia.

The CRAFT Chatham classes have long been our list to attend, but spaces are limited and they often sell out very quickly. Classes really span the gamut of topics from whole hog butchering, to sourdough bread baking, to Indian food, to fermentation. Instructors are all extremely knowledgeable and talented experts in their field.

We were lucky enough to snag a spot in the recent Kraut, Kimchi, and Lacto-Fermented Pickles class taught by Trevor Ring. Trevor graduated from the Chatham food studies program and also studied with the famous fermentation expert Sandor Katz. Basically, he's very into fermentation and knows what he's talking about!

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Lumaze Offers an Indoor Christmas Light Display in Pittsburgh

At this time it does not appear that Lumaze is returning in 2020. However, we will look out to see if it is returning in 2021.

What do you get when you pack a large warehouse in Pittsburgh's Strip District with over 1,000,000 holiday lights, arranged in unique designs, and set to an overall theme? 

You get Lumaze Pittsburgh. This international holiday show made its local debut in 2019 with lights, music, and a whole lot of holiday cheer.

But is this one worth attending? For us, it really depends on how much you love Christmas lights!

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15 Distinctly Pittsburgh Foods the City is Known For

When we get visitors to Pittsburgh, one of the most popular questions that we hear is “what are famous Pittsburgh foods?” 

The first one is easy- everyone knows Primanti Brothers. From there, what we would call iconic food in Pittsburgh can vary substantially based on who you ask. Is a pierogi a Pittsburgh food? What about Beto's pizza? Or how about something more unusual like chipped chopped ham? Or how about famous desserts, breakfast spots, and more?

When we sat down to think of it, we came up with a list of 15 definitive Pittsburgh foods. Some are famous because they were created here. Some are adopted foods from other cultures that are widely integrated into our local diet. Some are in specific categories that have die-hard followings (like our local famous chocolate shop- every city has one). Others still were created in nearby states but popularized in Pittsburgh as its first major market.

While this list is not comprehensive to hit everything that could be considered popular food in Pittsburgh, we did opt to select what we believe are the most well known and are unique to the region all the same.

For more of our opinion from restaurants mentioned below, click the respective links to learn more!

Note: This article only features foods you can find readily available in the city and/or nationally. A few items, like a Turkey Devonshire sandwich or Fussfungle cocktail, are also uniquely Pittsburgh but are so incredibly hard to find we did not feel like it would be appropriate to list them due to rarity. However, when/if we find good spots for these in the city and visit we may add them to this list.

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A Guide to Discover the Burgh’s Favorite Pittsburgh Spots

We started Discover the Burgh in 2015 as a means to get out and enjoy everything in Pittsburgh. Since then, we have been blown away by all the city has to offer, and are getting close to having personally experienced 1,000 unique things to do in the city.

While this site is mainly an opinion blog sharing our personal views on all of these attractions, restaurants, bars/breweries, events, parks, and more, we haven't really called out any spots are our personal favorites. You can tell if you read our articles which ones we like more than others, sure, but we never had a dedicated feature to this effect.

For a while, we thought we'd unveil an awards series to highlight our favorite spots. But then we realized they are overplayed and clickbaity. Then we worried that perhaps it was always too soon to do this because we still have way more of the city to see. But as we explore more of the city, we realize that we will never, ever be “finished” and have to commit to it at some point.

So this guide to our favorite places in Pittsburgh was born.

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Mad Mex Review – Cal Mex in Pittsburgh with Seasonal Features

Mad Mex is a popular Cal Mex restaurant chain run in Pittsburgh by the Big Burrito restaurant group. They are known for, well, big burritos, and offer a number of different west coast-inspired creations amongst many other menu items.

While they are known for their Mexican inspired burritos, we have to say that we are not the biggest of fans. That being said, we find ourselves going to this one for their seasonal burrito creations as well as their margarita menu!

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Watch the Penguins Practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex

If you've ever driven on I-79 north of Pittsburgh, odds are good you've noticed the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.

This massive facility is easily recognized with its numerous banners of Penguins Stanley Cup wins on the side, and on the inside features two ice skating rinks, a state-of-the-art training center, numerous exhibits, and a sports medicine facility run by UPMC.

But while all of this is interesting on its own right, perhaps what makes the Lemieux Complex the most exciting is that it is used by the Pittsburgh Penguins for practice, and some of them are open to the public to enjoy- for free!

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Mary’s Vine Review – A High-End Wine Bar in a Church

Mary's Vine is a high-end wine bar that opened in the Pittsburgh borough of Rankin in late 2019.

This one can be found in a converted church and provides an ambiance and wine selection that is truly unlike no other wine bar in the region.

So if strong attention to detail and an impressive (albeit expensive) wine selection is what you seek, a trip to Mary's Vine is a must.

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Helen’s Review – A Fine Dining Gem at Seven Springs

Helen's is a fine dining restaurant on the Seven Springs Ski Resort property with an award-winning wine list and classic dishes served up in a cozy and rustic chic atmosphere.

We've stayed at Seven Springs a number of times over the years and have eaten at nearly all of the restaurants, and we have to say, Helen's is by far the best option on the property. While most of the other restaurants feature things like bar food and buffets, Helen's is truly a standout and a restaurant that, if you picked it up and put it in Pittsburgh, we would gladly choose to patron.

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